Sleeping-balcony.



M. H. SMITH.

SLEEPING BALCONY. APPLICATION'HLED JUNE 30.1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR.

WITNESSES W E N m s o H. M K A M N Y B M. H. SMITH.

SLEEPING BALCONY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 19H.

1,259,795. Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 37 IN VENTOR. WITNESSES.- ,g MARK H. d'M/TH {gal M. H. SMITH.

SLEEPING BALCONY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. Ian.

1,259,795. I Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- INVENTOR. KARK. H. .YM/T'H A TTORNEYS.

vhmEssEs: l M M M UNITED STATES FATENT j onricn.

M4131; H. slang, on LANSING MICHIGQKN, ASSIGNORTO onrr MANUrAor rtrne 00.,

' OF'V'LANSVING, MICHIGAN.

SLEEPIl I G-BALCONY.

To all whom ztmay concern:

Be it known that I, :MARK SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansing, in thecounty of Ingliam and State of Michigan, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Balconies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sleeping balconies.

The objects of this invention are:

First, to provide asan article of manufacture a sleeping balcony adapted to be. ,attached to the side of a house or dwelling over a window or door opening, so that it may be entered through the said door or window opening.

Second, to provide a' structure of this class which is light in weight and economical to manufacture, but at the same time very strong and rigid.

Third, to provide in a structuresof the class described improved arrangement of the curtain. I

:Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear fromthe detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devicesand means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a front elevation of a structure embodying the features of my invention attached to the side of a house, portions of the supporting brackets and front screen being broken away, the curtain being shown in its raised position.

Fig. II is an end elevation with portions of the screen broken away, the curtain being shown in its raised position, and the wall of the house being shown in section to better disclose the means for securing thesupports.

Fig. III is a perspective view of my im proved sleeping balcony with the curtain in its lowered position.

F ig. IV is an enlarged detail section on a line corresponding to line of Figs. I and II, with the bedding omitted. f

Fig. V is a transverse section onfa'line corresponding toline5w5 of Figs. I and IV, portions being broken away, and the bedding and curtain omitted.

{Speicificatign of Letters Patent. Patented 11 1', 19, 1918, Applicationnled June 80, 1917. Serial No. 178,009. i

Fig. IX is a detail section takenon aline corresponding to line 9:9 of Fig. I.

In the drawing, similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout-the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction ofthe li'ltle arrows atithe ends of-the section lines.

Referring. to the drawing, the frame of my improved sleeping balcony comprises front and end rectangular frames formed as separate members and adapted to be secured together when the structure is erected on a house. The end frame members comprise front and rear-uprights l and 2 and top and bottom horizontal pieces 3 and 4. The front and rear uprights and the bottom cross pieces are preferably formed of a single piece of angle iron bent into a UTshape. The rear uprights are longer than the front up- .rights,their upper ends extending above the upper ends of'the front uprights, the'purpose of which will appear later. These up rights and crosspieces form rigid rectangular frame members. The inclined braces 5 extend from the top cross pieces 4 totherear uprights to which they are attached near the upper ends. The front frame member com, prises the flat corner uprights -6 and bottom horizontal members 7 and a top horizontal member 8 formed of angle irons. Thefrent and end frame members are secured together by bolts 9 which permits shipping in the knockdown and convenient erection. Lo ne gitudinal bed supporting sills 10 extend be: tween the bottom cross pieces 3 and are braced by the diagonally disposed braces-11.

Toprovide a protecting lattice-work for the sides and ends I interlace vertical and horizontal metal strips 1-2 and 13 res ectively ofth-in metal or metal ribbonw ich are spot welded at their crossing points 1e and. at th r ends V a 1 5 o the verticalandhorizontal members of the frame.

This lattice-work no only "Prevides suit able grates for open work paneling for the sides but by spot welding at the points of intersection they serve as effective bracing for the frame, and at the same time do not add unduly to the weight of the structure.

The springs, shown conventionally at 16, are supported upon the sills 10. To protect the bedding, and the occupant from drafts from below, a floor or bottom canvas lTsupported by a frame 18 is arranged on the sills below the springs. The bedding designated generally by the numeral 19 is arranged upon the springs and may be of any desired character.

To provide for the attachment of screens I secure wooden strips 20 to the uprights and horizontal pieces of the frame members. These strips are secured by means of the rivets 21. The screens 22 may be secured by means of the tacking strips 23, as shown, or may be Otherwise attached.

In order to exclude rain and wind, and

to secure the desired privacy, I provide a side curtain 24 of canvas, ducking or other suitable material. This curtain is supported with its lower end embracing the bedding and springs, its upper end being adapted to be raised and lowered. The curtain is supported by the vertical rods 25 which are passed through the horizontal members of the frame pieces as shown in Fig. VII and secured therein so as to permit some yielding of the rods thereby providing a tension ing for the curtain to support it in its adjusted positions. The curtain is passed about the front curtain rods and its rear ends are looped about the rear curtain rods as stated, being drawn taut enough so that it is retained in its adjusted position bv the spring of these rods. Thus supported the curtain may be raised and lowered, being lifted to the desired height to protect the occupant or fully raised as occasion may require, the raising and lowering being conveniently done by the occupant of the bed.

The rods are secured against excess springing movement by the cotter pins 26 passed. through their ends. In order to fully protect the bedding from any moisture which might be conveyed through the curtain, which is, as stated, usually of canvas or ducking, I provide a mattress shield 27 which is disposed on the inner side of the curtain and extends up a suitable distance to protect the bedding. Thisshield is made of suitable waterproof material.

Curtain rods 28 are provided for the suspension of lace or other fancy curtains.

My improved sleeping balcony is preferably supported by means of the -rackets 29 and hangers 30, the brackets being secured to the side of the house and extending outwardly and upwardly to the end bottoi'n cross pieces 3. The hangers 30 are disposed to extend diagonally downward and are secured to the house as by the screws 31, their lower ends being secured to the bottom members of theframe.

The cover or roof of my improved sleeping balcony is in the form of an awning 32, the upper edge of which is secured to the side of the house by the plate 33. The awning is provided with a valance 34 which fits over the upper edge of the frame as shown.

In Fig. IX the awning is shown in its raised position by dotted lines. To facih-- tate raising I provide a rope or cord 35 which is passed over a pulley 36 and extends down to a securing cleat 37. This feature of an awning or roof capable of being raised is of advantage as when the structure is placed over a window the roof may be raised during the day time to admit light and sun to the. window.

With the parts thus arranged the structure is comparatively simple and economical to produce, may be made of light material, and is still very strong and rig d. It may be shipped in the knockdown and. erected upon a building by one not especially experienced in the particular work. The air rangement of the curtain is of particular ad vantage in-that it may be raised as desired to. protect or screen the occupant of the bed, or raised from the bottom, the novel method of supporting the curtain being a very lesirable feature in the accomplishment of this result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a frame, vertical curtain holding rods disposed in the corners of the frame so as to permit springing of the rods,

and a curtain passed around the front rods with its ends looped about the rear rods under such tautness that the curtain is supported in its adjusted positions on said rods.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a frame, yielding curtain holding rods disposed vertically in the corners of the frame, and a curtain slidably engaged with said rods under such tautness that the curtain is supported in its adjustedposition on the rods.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two wit-- nesses.

MARK E. SMITH. at

copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

